Fuel saver for hard coal burners



Oct. 23, 1934. R. O'BRlEN 1,977,951

FUEL SAVER FOR HARD COAL BURNERS Filed sept. 26, 1955 2 sheets-sheet 1 EIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIlllllllm @i J /g 212575 w ""i 0I/010i Y /f Inventor /4 /Z1 7. rzw

`/qllorney Oct. 23, 1934. T. R. O'BRIEN FUEL SAVER FOR HARD COAL BURNERS Filed Sept. 26, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patentedl ct. 23, 1934 Timothy R. OBrien, Middletown, N. Y.

Application September 26, 1933, Serial No. 691,050

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for saving fuel, and is especially adapted for use with boilers or burners which consume hard coal as fuel.

An object of the invention is to provide a de- 5 vice of simple economical construction which can be readily placed in the boiler above the grate, and which when properly located within the boiler will serve to provide for a slow feed of the coal towards the grate, keeping the coal in towards the center of the grate and thereby obviating dead pockets around the sides of the rebox and which pockets are troublesome in that they prevent one from obtaining maximum heat, and also result in waste of fuel since the coals in these pockets, instead of being consumed are carried down with the ashes to the ashpit when the nre bed is agitated upon actuation of the grate.

The invention together with its objects and advantages will be best understood from a study of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view, the invention being shown within a boiler, certain parts of the boiler being broken away and shown in section.

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the frustroconical member forming part of the invention.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional View through said member.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 4--4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional View taken substantially on the line 5 5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of a supporting leg.

Figure 7 is a front elevational view thereof, and

Figure 8 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on the line 8--8 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings by reference numerals it will be seen that 5 designates generally a boiler, the same being of the type suitable for burning hard coal. IThe repot of the boiler is indicated by the reference numeral 6, the grate by the reference numeral 7, the ash door by the reference numeral 8, and the re door by the reference numeral 9.

The improved coal saver comprises a hollow frustro-conical member divided longitudinally to provide a pair of complemental half sections 10- 10. The said frustro-conical member is divided by irregular lines so as to provide at the meeting edges of the sections a dovetailed joint 1l.

The frustro-conical member just described, and which may be termed a bowlthat is open at its top and bottom is provided on opposite sides (Cl. 12B- 147) thereof with wedge Shaped lugs 12 .through which 'n the division lines between the sections 10e-l0 of the bowl pass as will be clear from a study of Figure 2. The lugs 12 on opposite sides thereof are grooved and are adapted to be engaged in notches 13 provided in the heads or upper ends of supporting legs 14. With the lugs 12 thus engaged in the notches 13 the sections 10-10 are secured in edge abutting relation to provide a frustro-conical bowl. A s clearly shown in the drawings the notched heads of the supporting legs 14 are disposed at an angle to the legs, and in actual practice the entire assembly is arranged in the firepot 6 of the boiler as shown in Figure 1 with the lower ends of the legs 14 resting on the bottom of the iirepot 6 at opposite sides of the grate 7.

For securing the bowl centered within the firepot 6 there are provided a pluraiity of wedges 15 which are inserted, at intervals, downwardly between the wall of the ilrepot 6 and the upper edge portion of the bowl. Putty or the like 16 is used to provide a sealed joint between the upper edge of the bowl and the wall of the irebox 6.

It will be apparent, that with the device properly arranged in the boiler, coal fed to the firepot 6 through the door 9 will pass downwardly through the bowl, and through the medium of the bowl the coal will be fed slowly towards the grate as the fuel is being consumed so that all of the coal will be used and reduced to ash thus insuring maximum heat with minimum coal consumption. Further the slow feeding of the coal, which coal will of course be directed to the center of the grate will prevent the coal from unduly spreading toward the sides of the repot 6 and becoming packed against the sides forming what are known as dead pockets so called for the reason that they make diicul't the building up of a hot fire.

An advantage of this invention will, in addition to that above stated, be found in the fact that the bowl will provide such a support for the coal as to permit the grate 'l to be completely turned for letting down all free ash without disturbing the re and fresh coal within the coal. After the iire bed has been thus stirred by the actuation of the grate 7 the initial downward movement of the coal within the bowl 10 can be effected by agitating the coal within the bowl onto the grate. In this manner a hot fire will result quickly as the fresh coal settles on to the grate.

With a device of this character the waste of coal will be reduced to a minimum, and as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, a rekindling of the re will be quickly effected when the bowl is used with materially less kindling than is now generally required.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. In a device of the character described, a substantially frustro-conical bowl having an opening therethrough and split longitudinally into a pair of complemental half-sections, lugs on the sections of the bowl at diametrically opposite sides of the bowl and adjacent the meeting edges of the sections, and a support for the bowl including leg members having notched heads for receiving the lugs for securing the sections of the bowl assembled, and engaged with said support.

2. A coal saver adapted to be arranged within the flrepot of a boiler, and comprising a frustroconical bowl open at its bottom, said bowl being split on irregular lines at diametrically opposite sides thereof to provide a pair of complemental sections, and interlocking joints between the sections at the meeting edges thereof for holding the sections against relative longitudinal movement, tapered lugs on opposite sides of the bowl and through which the lines of division pass, and a pair of supporting legs for the bowl, each of said legs having an angular head portion provided with a tapered slot for receiving the lugs on one side of thebowl.

TIMOTHY R. OBRIEN. 

